Stopping a vehicle has always been a problem especially when an emergency arises that requires a sudden stop. The use of a friction material rubbing against a metal drum or disc has proven quite satisfactory for stopping, however, the friction material and to some degree the drum or disc wears. With the wearing of material and application linkage a slack or free play increases over the initial desired slack to a point where the braking force becomes inadequate sometimes with disastrous results to the operator and the equipment or vehicle. To remove the excess slack a slack adjuster is usually added in series in the linkage between the air cylinder and the brake shoes. Incorrect adjustment of the slack adjuster has often had catastrophic results. Applicants unique tester removes all doubt that an inaccurate or inadequate adjustment has been made.
Other attempts to rectify this improper adjustment problem have been made such as that shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,079,964 and 4,064,900. In patent "964" there is shown an air canister or air cylinder with a rod extending therefrom to actuate the brake shoe operating cam. A tether including a flag is connected to the canister and to the slack adjuster so that when excessive wear occurs the tether and flag separate from the air canister indicating to the vehicle operator that excess slack exists and must be removed.
Applicants device on the other hand is an indicating device adapted to be easily placed in an operative position on the exterior of the air canister or cylinder and engageable by the slack adjuster, indicating or measuring the travel of the slack adjuster arm relative to the air canister or cylinder. In patent "900" there is shown a "Brake Buddy" tool which you physically apply to the adjuster arm to take up and thereby gauge the degree of slack present. A portion of the tool includes a hammer to free up the locking sleeve and a further portion is in the form of a wrench to adjust the slack or in other words "set up the brakes". Applicants device mounted on the air cylinder and engaged by the slack adjuster arm actually elongates indicating the slack present under actual operating conditions as one operates the vehicle brakes during the checking process. No physical strength is required.